All Left Speechless
by Gregory the Abdicator
Summary: To be together again: to be home. And when home is ripped away from you, what is left but words?
1. Chapter 1

Just a little something I thought of when I was loving Briar…yesterday. Hey! You! Go read my story!

Disclaimer: I write. But I don't copy. And this stuff? It's _all_ copy-write. What? You say that's not what it means? I'm so disillusioned…

"Ah…finally, some rest."

Lady Sandrilene fa Toren, niece to Duke Edris and distant relation of the Empress, fell back on her neatly made bed with a sigh. A male's voice interrupted her exhaustion.

"Enough for you to talk about rest," said a shadow in the corner of her chamber, "I haven't been allowed to sit for weeks with the way my old teacher is going at me."

Sandry started and sat up. "Oh, Pasco! You startled me!"

The wiry youth stood from his place on the floor with a contented grin. "I know."

Sandry frowned at him, a thin line appearing between her perfectly arched brows. "I'm sorry, Pasco, I forgot that I promised I would meditate with you today. So much has been going on…" she trailed off, tired.

The 'so much' she was referring to included the remarriage of Duke Edris to his not-so-reputable wife, the rebuilding of a third of Emelan's resources from the recent attacks, and the remodeling of the entire palace in which she now was settled.

Even Pasco looked slightly impressed with the number of things that 'so much' seemed to indicate. But then he bowed, ruining the effect, and risked a cheerful grin.

"Well, at least now it's all over. For you, at least," Pasco, guardsman's child and recently discovered mage, added dolefully. Sandry laughed at him, then gestured towards the door.

"As much as I don't want to be rude, I truly do need some rest. Perhaps, if your overbearing task-master will free you next week, I can try to be there."

Pasco nodded, then grinned again. "And to think you used to yell at me for being late."

Sandry laughed and swatted at him, and he bowed low before skipping out. She smiled, then leaned back onto the lavish pillows, thinking of strange and wondrous things.

She was short, for her age, but not unreasonably so. She had long brown hair, ruffled just now from the work she had done in the weavers. She was petite, her face strong and firm, her eyes determined. She was not exactly beautiful, but there was something within her very movements that made one wish to look at her again. Over the years she had spent as Duke Vedris' ward, she had had plentiful suitors come to ask for her hand. But not one of them would she accept, and when Vedris had asked her why, she had simply shrugged and looked worried. Vedris' new wife, of course, had told him quietly that Sandry was a mystery waiting to be found out, and none of these pretty boys could fit her.

She flipped over on the covers, glad of the moment of privacy.

"My lady?" An aged manservant peeked into the room.

Sandry sighed. "Yes?"

"My lady, the Duke requires your presence in the drawing room."

She sighed again and nodded. The servant bowed and shut the door, allowing Sandry another few seconds of peace. She closed her eyes, trying to resume the attitude of peace she had had before she was interrupted.

"Cat dirt!" she cried finally, and stood, frowning at the wrinkles in the serviceable but fine linen she wore. Her surrogate father hated to see slothfulness.

She scowled at the wrinkles and sent a silent command spinning through the fibers.

Instantly, they heard her call and straightened themselves out, back into the pattern they had been sewn in.

Sandry smiled satisfactorily, and stepped out to speak with her uncle.

Perhaps it should be mentioned that Sandrilene fa Toren is also one of the four children known for being the youngest, and most powerful, mages in many thousand years.

……..

……..

"It simply isn't reasonable to make that assumption, especially now!"

Niklaren Goldeye, perhaps the most famous mage of his time, sighed deeply. He had been in this conference for far too long, and nothing had come of it.

"Perhaps we can try to use my stu- Trisana's former pupil's seeing globes, and then make an assessment." He suggested mildly. Across the world, in various chambers, the wisest mages had gathered in an urgent meaning, finding themselves all accosted by some strange sense of impending doom. However, even though they had been in meetings all day, nothing conclusive or even remotely reasonable had come of it, and all the hours had been more or less wasted.

Now, however, it seemed that things were going to let off for a while, for which Niko could only be thankful.

"It is settled, then. I will contact you all when there is more news."

Across the mental link, murmurs of assent and farewell were given, and Niko felt himself suddenly alone within his mind.

"Whew…" he sighed, and stretched his stiff muscles. Beside him, a tray of warm food rested, and he hungrily grabbed a roll and started eating.

"Knock knock!" Trisana, short, stubby, fierce, and incredibly powerful, poked her braided head into the room. Niko smiled at her, and she pushed the door open the rest of the way, looking peevish.

"You've been in here all day." She said matter-of-factly. Niko nodded, his mouth to full to speak, but his eyes rolled expressively enough.

Tris laughed. "You should know better than to talk to those chuffleheads; it only gives you headaches."

Niko swallowed and grinned ruefully, then downed the juice on his tray in one gulp. "I meant to go out today, maybe talk to your friend, but things seem to have taken an interesting turn."

Tris sat on the floor with a thump. "I'm listening."

"Well," Niko said between bites, "it seems that there has been a major premonition going on: not unlike the ones I and Moonstream had about the blue pox," he had to stop and grimace. He was referring to the time an incautious, second-rate magician had managed to create a deadly virus that had almost claimed the lives of one of their most beloved friends, Rosethorn.

Tris nodded. "So, a major disaster?"

Niko frowned, chewing and swallowing quickly. "That's just the problem. No one knows if it is a disaster or simply something really important." He gnawed a piece of soft meat off of its bone.

Tris was the one frowning now. "You mean you have no idea if it's even a _bad_ thing?"

Niko shook his head. "None. It could be a cure for the cold, or it could be a worldwide flood. We just can't say."

"Wait a moment," Tris interrupted, " 'worldwide'? Just how many mages had this premonition anyway?"

Niko looked rueful, then serious. "I've been in contact with Sotat, Emelan, Lightsbridge…I can't think of a single place that hasn't been affected."

Tris looked impressed. "Maybe I could scry the winds?"

"No," Niko replied, "That kind of scrying only shows what is happening now, not in the future. Though," he added thoughtfully, looking at Tris, "it would be interesting to see what you could do with that."

Tris grunted at the light praise, then returned her gaze to Niko's craggy face. "I suppose you want my former student to make his lightning globes?" she asked gruffly.

Niko raised a bushy silver eyebrow at her, then nodded. "Yes. We need to know as much as we can about this-….whatever it is."

Tris nodded, and they sat in silence, contemplating the future.

…….

…….

"Daja! Rise and shine! Come meet this glorious day!"

Daja Kisubo, mage of metal and fire, groaned and rolled out of her pallet, rubbing her eyes and glaring at Frostpine, her former instructor and the greatest living metal mage.

"I'm up, I'm up…" Daja moaned, then rolled over and shut her eyes.

Suddenly a great, heavy weight settled on her shoulders, and she felt herself lifted into the air.

"UP!" Frostpine roared good-naturedly, heaving her down onto the cold floor of the inn they were at. Daja was wide awake in an instant, and furious with it.

"Frostpine!" she growled, but he just grinned at her mercilessly and marched out, shutting the door behind him.

Daja grumbled, but she was awake, and they were on their way back to Winding Circle, and that was enough to get her moving again.

She wasn't the only one returning of the original four who set out from Discipline all those months ago: Briar Moss, the only boy of their group, was nearing Emelan already, and Trisana Chandler was going to come back by ship.

Daja dressed quickly, grabbing her runic Trader staff, and sent up a prayer to all her gods. She didn't want this day to go bad. With any luck, she would be in the outskirts of Emelan by nightfall.

_That much closer to Sandry and the others._

There was no mistaking it. Of all the people she had missed during her adventure in the freezing north, Sandry was the number one. Sandry was her dearest and closest friend, and had been for many, many years. Daja could hardly wait to see her again.

"Frostpine! Let's go home!"

…….

…….

She couldn't tell it, but that sentiment was being heartily echoed about two miles out of the great city of Emelan.

Home, home, home, home… Briar Moss, the earth mage of the four children, chanted his mantra over and over inside his head, his excitement getting the better of his cool façade. He had just spent the better part of a year inside a hot, arid desert where plants were only grown by magic. He had found a good deal of excitement before he had left, including finding a truly powerful stone mage, untrained, within the city. 

But now…Now he was coming back to Winding Circle, and the grass and trees trumpeted in his mind, celebrating his return.

He greeted them as he passed, looking pleased that so many had regrown from the terrible drought of last year.

"Swipe that smug look off your face; they did it entirely on their own."

Briar started and turned, facing the lovely, aging sprite that sat behind him. Rosethorn had been his personal tutor when he had been living in Discipline, and despite her harsh nature, Briar knew she cared for him. Besides, despite Rosethorn's sharp words, he could tell she was as pleased by the regrowth as he was.

"Aw, lay off me. We're almost home!" Briar cried, mock whining.

"All these years of training, and you still can't speak like a human." Rosethorn shook her head, but she smiled beneath her close-cropped hair. She, too, was happy to be coming back to the land she loved and the people she cared for.

"Lark'll be happy. Does she know we're coming?" Briar asked pointedly.

Rosethorn's grin turned positively devilish. "No. But I think she could do with a surprise, don't you?"

Briar smiled, glad his teacher, and his friend, was so happy. And speaking of people who he cared for…

It had taken him a while to remember precisely why he was so much more happy to be back, but the answer had come to him last night.

He had been laying on the floor, wrapped in his nest of blankets, and had been feeling a little melancholic for no reason. He had cast his power around, searching for something to think about, when a familiar scent touched his wandering mind.

He breathed in deeply, concentrating. _Bronze, steel, smoke. What the-_

_Hey, thief-boy._

_Daja? _He had jumped up and broken the tentative link in his shock. Then he resettled himself quickly, following the vine trail to where the metal-smith waited.

_Surprised? _Daja's mind-voice said.

_Nah, _he responded, trying to act nonchalant. _Just had an itch._

Daja had laughed and bantered with him a few more minutes. Both of them were reveling in the contact that had been forbidden by distance for far to long. They had been as close as family until they had broken contact after receiving their mage status.

Daj', where are you? 

Briar felt Daja smile through their link. _About a day behind you. Maybe less. You know, I've been trying to reach you all day, thief-boy._

Briar had been surprised, but soon relaxed. Daja seemed like she never changed, not a bit from when they were last together. She still was solid, sure, and strong, like the metal than ran through her blood.

After they had spoken a while longer, Daja had finally asked him if he'd met any pretty girls on his trip.

_Nope. They all looked too much like you. _

Daja had yelled at him.

_But I think a certain smith-mage named Kirel will be extremely happy to see _you_…_ Briar had teased.

He had felt Daja's blush. _Maybe. We'll see._

Briar had grinned malevolently, but then Daja had spoken again.

_Besides, plant boy, the person I'm really looking forward to seeing is Sandry._

Again, Briar had jerked, but this time the link held stable. _I almost forgot! Sandry's going to be in Emelan!_

Daja had sighed and sent a mental slap across the distance. _Of _course _Sandry's in Emelan! She's been writing to us all year about it!_

Briar had hit himself on the forehead, and Daja had sighed and told him it was time for her to go to bed.

_Alright, goodnight. Lakik favor you._

Daja had snorted and closed the link, but Briar had lain in the darkness for a long time before he got any rest.

Sandry. He hadn't spoken to her in longer than any of them. The road had been long and harsh, and he didn't want to stop just to send a letter. But now, as he finally was nearing the place where Sandry actually was, he realized that what was truly exciting him was the thought of seeing her again. He and Tris were friends, and Daja was wonderful, but where Sandry was, that was _home_. If she was in the middle of the Hajran desert, it would still be home.

A fear suddenly struck him in the morning light. What if Sandry had changed? She was, after all, a royal. Maybe she had become snotty, or spoiled, or maybe she was going to be all cold and polite. Or maybe she had gotten married!

_Stop that, _Daja said inside his head, _Sandry won't have changed._

For a moment, the horror of the last few words still lingered in his mind, but then he shook himself.

_Of course not. _He responded, and then the gates of Emelan came into view, and he broke off.

"Take me home." He whispered under his voice to his horse, and as morning faded to noon-tide, he entered the gates of his real home city and pictured the smiling face and snub nose that had been more and more in his dreams of late:

Lady Sandrilene fa Toren.

Home.


	2. Fading About the Edges

By the by, I haven't read the newest book. I have been lax in my duties...sigh...

Disclaimed: That I do not own Circle of Magic.

Enjoy!

EE

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"More tea, niece?" Duke Edris of Emelan proffered the tea pot.

"No, thank you." Sandry responded, then smiled at him.

They were sharing one of their few private moments since the Duke had gotten married. His wife was off training her students, and his servants had all been dismissed for the time being. Now they were sitting in his drawing room, comfortably attired as they shared peace.

"How are you feeling, uncle?"

The duke smiled. "Fine. Such is your skill with the administration, I have not felt pressured in the least for anything greater than an afternoon ride."

Sandry smiled.

"And you, my niece? You have been extremely busy, of late."

Sandry rolled her eyes and nodded. "You've no idea."

Edris smiled. "Remember, dear, I have run this city for near thirty years. I have every idea."

Sandry stuck her tongue out at him and then spoke. "It's been a madhouse! Ever since you got married, things have been going from crazy to impossible! I don't know what's worse: the papers or the counselors!"

Edris' grin widened. "They do tend to be overbearing at times. Perhaps you could do as I used to: claim an urgent meeting and go out for a ride all day."

Sandry looked astonished that her stalwart uncle had ever done any such thing, then she smiled in relief. "That would be wonderful. But who would-"

Her uncle raised a hand. "I may be old, my dear, but I am hardly useless. Leave everything to me."

Sandry jumped up from her seat and hugged her uncle. "Thank you! Thank you!"

Edris smiled and patted her back, but when she moved away to sit down, she was pale and panting.

"Sandry?" Edris queried, looking worried.

She waved a hand at him and gulped in air. "I'm all right. Just a little tired."

Edris nodded, but continued to frown. "Perhaps you should take a few days off. Maybe you can go join Dedicate Lark for a while."

Sandry smiled at him. "That would be nice." She poured herself some tea and sat back, sipping it.

Edris' frown deepened.

_Oh, that's a cloth rose! Some Bag probably would pay a fortune for it. Sandry'd love it._

Briar shook his head, knocking the last thought out of his mind. He returned his gaze to the market place, looking at all the herbalist shops.

_How did they get _that_ all the way here? It's probably being smuggled. Maybe Sandry would like more silk._

He knocked himself on the forehead, trying to get his mind on something else. Rosethorn glanced over at him.

"You all right, boy?"

Briar nodded and grinned, but he couldn't understand it. Ever since Daja had mentioned Sandry's name, he had been thinking about her.

_You're making up for lost time. You've barely even written to her since you left._

Briar frowned, but he couldn't think of a better explanation for his mind's disobedience.

_Maybe you could get all the girls something. Like that rare metal for Daja, that jewelry for Tris…maybe some flowers for Sandry._

I can't get her flowers! He thought back urgently. That _reeks _of …of…something!

Well, then, get her a dress! 

A dress! I don't even know what size she is!

_Then don't get her anything! Moron._

I can't do that! I already got things for the others!

It was true. Briar had picked up a beautiful amethyst for Daja from Evvy, his one-time short-term student. On the way back, he had grabbed a nice bracelet for Tris. But everywhere they had stopped, he had not been able to find something that had really seemed right for Sandry.

_Oh, whine whine! Just _get_ her something!_

Fine. I will. Briar responded, and jumped out of the wagon.

"Where are you going?" Rosethorn asked.

"I have to pick up something! Just give me a second!"

Rosethorn nodded to the driver, and Briar sped off down the road, looking for the cloth shop that he had seen on his way here.

He found it. "Ma'am? I'd like to buy that rose in the window."

The proprietor looked down at him over her spectacles. "Of course. But only with money you earned, not the stuff you got off of others."

Briar sighed impatiently and reached under his tunic for his mage mark. He flashed it at the shopkeeper, and her eyes went wide.

"You're one of them children! The ones that stopped that earthquake all those years ago!"

Briar sighed. "Yes. Now can I have the rose, or do I go someplace else?"

The lady sniffed. "No one else has as quality merchandise as I do. You'll never find something this nice anywhere else."

Briar seriously doubted that, but he kept his peace as he paid the exorbitant price for the rose and left the shop, jogging back to the wagon.

"Where'd you go?" Rosethorn asked irritably as he hopped back into his seat.

"I had to get something for Sandry. D'ya think she'll like it?" He held up the rose.

Rosethorn snorted. "It's 'do you', and yes, she will."

Briar smiled and moved to put his gift in his bag. Then he suddenly realized that to do so would crush it. He looked about himself helplessly for a moment.

"Got yourself into another fine mess, haven't you?" Rosethorn asked drily.

Briar turned to her with a puppy-dog look in his eyes. "Please?" he asked.

Rosethorn rolled her eyes, but took the rose from him and put it into one of her special packets, spelled to not collapse or crush the plant within. Briar grinned his thanks at her, then called to the driver, and they were on their way again.

Sandry gasped and sat up.

"Sandry? What's wrong?" Duke Edris put a hand on her shoulder. She looked at him, joy dawning in her vivid blue eyes.

"It's Briar!" she cried, and then leapt up, dashing out of the room.

The Duke of Emelan looked confused, then worried, then he sighed and looked tolerant. After all, everyone was prone to a fit of craziness now and then.

At that moment, his new wife walked into the room, resplendent in silks and her dancer's jewels.

"What was that all about?" she asked, looking back at the fleeing Sandry.

Edris smiled. "Nothing. Just a little bit of insanity."

She smiled at him, and Edris thought that perhaps his own bit of insanity was scarcely so bad after all.

Sandry dashed down the stairs, out through the servants door, scattering maids and butlers in her wake. She ran through the kitchens, straight to the stables for her horse. She didn't even bother to saddle the poor beast as she leaped on his back and ordered the groom to get out of her way. He tried to get the reins down, but in the process all he managed was to knock off one of her shoes. She yelled at him irritably and pushed past.

Then she was off, galloping down the gravel road to the main gate, which barely had time to open before she went hurtling through at breakneck speed.

Briar! He's back! He's back! 

Her mind went in little loops, filled with glee and astonishment. _Why didn't he tell me? I can't believe it! He's back! Briar's back!_

She was giddy with excitement. The road blurred before her eyes, and she shook her head to clear it. She galloped down, following the growing scent of roses and hawthorn towards the market square.

She was going to fast – she could not see clearly. Impatiently she leaned back on her horse, but he was enjoying the ride and refused to slow. Her blue eyes blinked and she shook her head again, the outlines of the buildings around her becoming fuzzy and then clearing again.

She galloped past the houses on either side, still blinking against the hard wind and trying to slow down.

And then there was a flash, and she felt herself falling away, and then a great snap, and she saw a vague figure in front of her, beckoning. And then blackness overwhelmed her, and she knew no more.


	3. Before the Storm

I have officially fixed my formatting. Go me! And Edris/Vedris has been appropriately rectified...double go me's!

Thanks to those who've reviewed...you've no idea (or you might) how much that encourages me!

Short chapter...gonna rework a little bit of the plot. It started doing the one thing allauthors should fear:

Meandering.

On to story!

-

-

Briar was hopping up and down slightly on his seat, thinking of the girls faces when they saw his presents. Of course Tris would be all weepy and Sandry would try to hug him, but he thought Daja would probably be alright about it.

At least, he hoped so.

"Will you stop that? You're giving me a headache." Rosethorn snapped irritably at him from her place. Briar smiled back at her sweetly, and then bounced extra hard. Rosethorn glared at him, but then he heard a great commotion ahead of them, and the driver was forced to stop behind the crowd of people.

"Hey! What's going on?" Briar leaned over and called to a passerby.

"Dunno!" the man called back.

Briar felt a wave of cold strike him, and he shivered. He looked at Rosethorn, but she did not seem worried. He hopped out of the cart, pushing into the crowd. He was in a hurry to get home, and if some low-life Bag had stopped his carriage in the middle of the road, Briar was going to make him pay.

"What's happening?" he asked someone as he pushed through.

"She got in an accident!" The woman replied worriedly, as though anything counted as gossip, even if someone was hurt.

Briar groaned and kept forcing his way through the concerned and interested crowd. Probably some Skirt who decided to go for a joyride on one of her daddy's horses.

But then why do all these people look so sober? 

Another wave of cold air touched his spine, and he grimaced. Why was he feeling so…

And then he pushed the last onlooker out of the way, and he saw the shining brown hair, and the grey cloth she was so fond of, and his heart froze inside his chest.

"MOVE!" He screamed, and ran forward to gather Sandry in his arms. She was pale, and her eyes were shut. "Sandry? Sandry, wake up!" He shook her lightly, his whole world within this moment.

For a moment, nothing happened, and then her eyelids fluttered and she opened her eyes.

"Briar?" she mouthed, but no sound came out. Fear lanced through Briar mind, and he reached behiind her head, touching her neck. There was an indentation there, but the bone was not broken. He sighed and shifted so her head was straight from her neck.

"Shh, Sandry, it's alright."

She opened her mouth again and again, but no sound came out. Briar's heart raced as he thought of the possibilities.

Briar…what happened? 

He felt her voice in his mind, and a million emotions came crashing down on him. "You just fell from your horse. It's alright."

His own voice betrayed him.

"What's goin' on? What's happening?"

The crowd pressed in on them, interest warring with caution. Briar felt their weight pressing about him, and his breath came heavily. He lifted Sandry, cradling her in his arms.

"Get out of my way!" he called, but no one heard him over their own noise.

"MOVE!" he screamed. They all looked at him, but stayed motionless. His fury began to build. Sandry was lying in his arms, perhaps dying, and all they were worried about was staring at them.

His anger raged in his breast, winning out over his worry and fear. He pushed out with his power, calling all the dormant life beneath the soil of the road, summoning it to grow, to push up out of it's cold sleep. Joyfully, they answered the call, rushing up from the ground to break through the trampled dirt, reaching for the sun they had been denied for too long. His anger strengthened them, and they shoved man and beast out of their rising path, clearing a small pathway for him to come through.

He shifted Sandry a bit, noticing that her eyes were closed again, and began to run through the vines, heading back for the wagon.

He reached it and leaped into it, careful not to jar Sandry to much.

"What-" Rosethorn started, and Briar shook his head.

"We have to get to Winding Circle. Hurry!" He cried, and Rosethorn nodded to the driver. They pushed through the viney road, the plants already dying from lack of water and the crowds beginning to press back in.

_Hurry. _He thought. _Faster._

He looked down at the still figure in his arms, and another bolt of fear lanced through his heart.

"C'mon, Sandry, you gotta stay awake. Come on, girl, wake up!"

Sandry blinked at him. _I'm tired,_ she said in his mind.

Her voice was very faint. Panic gripped him. "No! No, you have to stay awake! I want you to see your present! It's beautiful."

Her attention was back on him. _What? _she asked.

"It took me forever to find it. I looked everywhere." He was babbling, but he didn't care. So long as she stayed awake, he would do whatever necessary.

_That's so sweet…_Sandry murmured, her eyes drifting shut again.

"No! You can't sleep! Listen…um, did you know that Daja will be here today? Tris is on her way too. We're all coming home again!" his voice was strained, near tears.

Really? When? 

"Oh, they'll be here really soon, but you have to stay awake to see them, right?"

Sandry nodded slowly, and her eyes blinked again, and she winced, obviously in pain.

"Just stay awake, girl, just until we get there. Just stay awake."

He rubbed her shoulders, trying to keep his own fear at bay as they rushed towards Winding Circle.

-

-

Daja stood up on the stirrups of her horse, standing tall to see the gates rapidly coming into view.

"Sit down, girl, you're making my stomach roll."

Daja grinned over at Frostpine, but she leaned back into her saddle, obedient. She thought she could almost see the Hub, way over on the island. In her mind, she felt the comforting presence of Briar resonating as she neared. She had tried to send a thought to him recently, but he had closed her off. Sandry, too, was as silent as the grave, despite Daja's many attempts at contacting her.

Frostpine kicked his horse forward a little, coming up beside her.

"Happy to be home?" he asked.

She grinned. "It's warm!"

Frostpine laughed his deep, belly laugh, his shaggy head wagging up and down. "It is that! Just the right temperature for nails!" he added wickedly.

Daja groaned and shook her head, laughing along with him as they trotted side by side. Their jollity died out after a time, and the friendly silence returned, interrupted only by the clip-clop of the horses' hooves.

Daja turned her head out to the sea, so close to her again, and her thoughts wandered.

"What's on your mind?" Frostpine asked softly, watching her dark eyes turn vague in the fading evening light. Daja turned to look at him, her face light and happy.

"I'm just glad I'll be with the others again. Especially Sandry."

Frostpine smiled. He knew, better than most, how close Daja had been to Sandry and Tris and Briar. They had been bound by fate and power, pulled together in a bond closer than family. He had seen how it tore at her heart to be separated from the others, even for the short year they had been gone. And he had seen that overwhelming energy that had been so much a part of her early days finally return to her. It made his heart swell with joy.

"I, myself am looking forward to seeing a few familiar faces. And a little sunlight," he added. As he was usually the resident smith-mage at Winding Circle, he had been close friends with Dedicates Lark and Rosethorn, both of whom were back at the Temple now.

Daja grinned over at him and felt herself buoyed up on the strength of her joy. Her best friends in the whole world were going to be there, with her; finally, once more as they should be.

She let out a whooping laugh and kicked her horse into full gallop, dashing past the startled guards at the gate and recklessly swooping through the city, her eyes alight and her heart on fire as she came hurtling down the last stretch, finally coming back.

Finally, she was coming home.

-

-

Duke Vedris smiled at the townsperson in front of him, trying to put the poor man at ease.

"S-sir…I- I need to ask a f-f-favor of you, please-…sir…"

The Duke had made a secret practice of his to personally interview those of the town that needed more help than others. He had done this to keep from feeling useless: it was secret because Sandry would have had a fit had she known. The only problem he had had was that people seemed to be overly in awe of his shaved head.

Vedris nodded politely, and the man gulped and stood straight.

"If you pl-please, sir, I have f-found that m-my shop has been-"

A pounding at the door interrupted the stutterer. Vedris nodded at the guard, and the latch swung open, admitting a panting and shaking watchman.

"Alder. What is it?" The duke acknowledged the watchman, and the man straightened quickly and snapped a salute. But when he tried to talk, he began to cough uncontrollably, and Vedris signaled to his guard.

"Quick! Go get this man some water!" He helped the watchman to a seat, nodding to the terrified townsman. "Excuse me, but I have some pressing business. If you come back tomorrow, we can try to solve your problem."

The man nodded and dashed from the room, eager to be gone. The guard Vedris had sent for water returned, and Vedris gave the gasping messenger a drink. The duke gestured to the guard to shut the door, and then turned back to the watchman, waiting.

"Sir!" the man gasped out, clearly exhausted. "Something's happened, sir!"

Vedris frowned. "Well? What is it?"

The man took another gulp of water and responded. "It's your niece, sir! She's been hurt!"

Vedris went pale, then red. He took one step forward and grabbed the man roughly by the shoulders, shaking him. "What? Where is she? What happened!"

The man gasped and panted, trying to answer. "She was thrown from her horse in the market! Some easterner boy took her to the temple."

Vedris shoved the man out of his way, running for the door, shouting for his horse. He hurtled down the steps, and fifteen minutes later was at the gate leading to Winding Circle, and forever.


	4. Lights Gone Dim

There's a distinct difference between passing a class and failing one. I have begun to notice this most profoundly recently...

But I still have some story written, and I'll be able to post every few days.

Hopefully.

Thanks to all you reviewers! You're the greatest!

-

-

Daja cantered into the Temple grounds, her exhilaration banked like a forge fire, ready to come back with first sign of friend.

She looked about herself, reveling in the familiar sights and smells. There was the clock, dominating the center of the grounds, casting it's shadow over Crane's greenhouse. There were the kitchens, run by Gorse and his herd of harried apprentices. There was the forge, ready and waiting as if she had left but yesterday. And there, there was that well-traveled path: and down it but a little way, there was Discipline, the same as it had been forever in her memory. Her smile broadened.

She was back.

She hopped off her horse, giving it a pat and letting the Initiates at the gate take it to the small stables. She considered waiting for Frostpine, but she had been waiting a year for this moment. She looked down the road and smiled. He would come.

Daja walked down the path, a bounce in her step. Briar had said he would force-march Sandry, if necessary, back to Discipline. A letter from Niko to Moonstream had allowed the students currently in Discipline to take a break and go back to their homes for as long as necessary. Lark had appreciated the break, but it had been hard to keep her from asking questions. Even now, considering Tris' most recent letter, Daja smiled at the remembrance.

And then the cottage came into view, and her heart swelled. In her mind came the words to an ancient Trader prayer for those coming home.

"Let their fires be warm, and their ships safe, and may the smile of loved ones light their heart, and the waves of hope touch at their shores."

Her soft words died away in the rustling coolness of a gentle breeze, brushing her face and dancing away into a wish for tomorrow.

Daja's quiet remembrance was suddenly broken by a voice in her mind.

_Daja?_

It was Briar.

_Finally! I've been trying to talk to you all day_- 

Her admonishment was cut short by Briar's urgent tone.

_Daja, I don't have the time. Just come to the Water Temple._

Daja's brow furrowed. _Briar? What happened?_

She heard the fear in his voice as he answered.

_It's Sandry. Hurry-_

And the contact was cut off, and she was left in the silence, trying to remember what the last echo she had caught was. Then she was sprinting down the pathways, rushing to the Temple, trying to block out that last whisper, the one Briar had tried to keep from her.

…_before it's too late…_

-

-

When she got to the hospital wing, Daja was panting hard, barely able to stand. The dedicates were all rushing about, and she grabbed one.

"Where is Sandry?" she gasped out.

The dedicate looked harried. "Lady Sandrilene is not able to entertain-"

Daja shifted the grip on her bronze-capped Trader staff. "Tell me where she is or I will make sure you never talk again!" she yelled, raising the staff to his face.

"Second floor, first door on your right." He pointed to a staircase. She nodded her thanks and dashed away, pounding up the steps to the door. Dedicates were rushing in and out, and she shoved her way through them, her heart pounding as she burst through the doorway.

The first thing she saw was Sandry, lying on the bed, her eyes shut and her face deathly pale.

Her heart stopped beating.

Then she saw the faint rise and fall of Sandry's chest, and Daja took a deep breath. Then she saw that Briar was next to the bed, sitting on an uncomfortable chair, his face unusually wan.

"Daja…" he said, trailing off.

She gave him a faint, dying smile and moved forward. Somehow everyone in the room knew not to disturb her, and she was let through. Dedicate Lark was sitting on the other side of the bed, looking worried and pale, her hands clasped around one of Sandry's lax ones. At the foot of the bed, Duke Vedris waited, looking half-dead.

Daja felt like her world had dropped out from beneath her.

"What happened?" she croaked.

"She took a fall from her horse." Lark replied quietly, not relinquishing the hand she held.

"Only because I was chuffleheaded enough to let her know I was there." Briar sounded achingly bitter.

"Don't blame yourself. It wasn't your fault." Lark said soothingly.

"She wouldn't have come out at all except for me," he replied, folding his arms stubbornly.

"How is she?" Daja interrupted.

Lark frowned. "We're not sure. The healers say she'll live for now, but they still haven't told us what's wrong."

At that moment, a blue robed Dedicate poked her head into the room. "Hello?" she asked.

Daja moved away from the door, allowing the Dedicate access to the room. She walked in, shutting the door behind her. The duke looked up hopefully as the Water Mage walked across the room to check Sandry's pulse. Then she turned around and addressed them.

"Well. I'm Dedicate Runa, temporary head of the Water Temple. You must be one of those four mages."

She glanced sharply at Daja, who didn't move. Runa squinted, then returned her gaze to the others.

"Listen. I'm not going to pad anything for you. Look at this." She pulled down a chart, on which there were several pictures of people's heads.

"Lady Sandrilene is a very lucky girl. Usually people who are thrown like she was end up with broken necks. Hers was just badly bruised."

Briar sighed with relief, glad that his initial, panicked diagnosis had been correct. Runa looked sharply and then went back to talking.

"Now, this is the back of a person's neck. Going through the center of it is a bone that controls movement for the whole lower body. Right here," and she pointed to a place on the chart a little beneath the nape of the neck, "this is where she was hit. The bone got a little fractured, but that will heal in a matter of weeks. Here, however, is the problem."

Everyone looked at where she was pointing. "This is a part of the skull that most people call the temple. It is one of the most unprotected parts of the head except the eyes and nose." She moved her finger away from there and pointed to a place on the side and top of the head. "That place has nerves that connect to right here. This is an important processing center for the brain. It stores the brain's ability to…well, to function like a human being. Without it, or when it is severly damaged, the person will be nothing more than an animal for the rest of his life." She stopped, moved over to the chart and muttered something. The pictures on the chart swirled and changed, stopping at another word.

"Here is the problem." Runa started speaking again. "Sandrilene has…well, it's extremely complicated. When you hit your knee, it turns blue. That's because you've broken capillaries inside the skin, but the skin itself didn't break. For Sandry, when she hit the ground she hit this spot on her head, and bruised it, except it can't exactly heal because she also broke the skull." The healer trailed off, staring at the chart as though mesmerized by it.

"So, what happens to her?" Daja asked, almost afraid.

Runa looked at her sadly. "She has internal bleeding in her brain. We've stopped it, for now, but the spell will wear off and takes a great deal of energy to uphold. Three of our best healers will be out for weeks because they had to cast it with such short notice." The words were accusatory, but Runa looked only weary.

"So, we can keep her alive? We can heal her?" Briar asked eagerly. Behind him, Duke Vedris looked up, staring at the mage.

Runa shook her head before he even finished. "Even if we had the power and the people to keep up the spell, blood will still seep past the barriers eventually, and that will render everything else useless."

Vedris spoke, his voice deep and quiet. "Will she live?"

Runa sighed deeply, a sad look in her eyes. "Maybe. If we can heal the break in her skull fast enough, probably. But working with the brain is a delicate thing. There's a good chance that if we try to heal her to quickly, the bone won't set properly and the whole thing will collapse. And no matter what happens, she will probably be damaged mentally for the rest of her life."

"When I picked her up, she couldn't talk. Is that something that happens?" Briar asked, his eyes wide.

Runa nodded. "It has. Other things to expect are memory losses, weakened hearing, blindness, a loss of feeling in the hands and feet-"

"Oh!" Lark cried out and put her hands over her mouth, shock and horror in her face. Daja could understand. Sandry's power lay in weaving, embroidery, sewing. If she couldn't feel her hands, she wouldn't be able to do any of those things, even with her power at full play. And with blindness, she would never be able to tell what she was doing, anyway.

Daja bit her lip and looked at Briar. His face was pale, and his eyes were fixed on Sandry's face.

Suddenly the door flew open, and Tris came through, her hair wild around her flustered face. She stopped short as she saw Briar, and Daja, and Lark. Her eyes darted to Sandry, and she let out a little cry.

"What's happened?"

Gently, because she didn't trust her real voice, Daja told her over their link. Tris' face got paler and paler until she looked like a ghost, her eyes standing out.

Niko stepped in behind Tris, and he too looked around, his eyes wide and worried. He touched Tris' arm, and she looked up at him, tears in her eyes. He frowned deeply as the contact allowed him to hear all of what Daja said. He blinked hard, then, as though he was fighting back tears of his own, and then took Runa aside, speaking with her in low tones.

_Tris? Are you alright? _Daja knew that was a silly thing to ask, but she felt she had to say something.

_No, _Tris replied matter-of-factly, _I think I might be sick. How could this happen?_

Daja caught Tris' eye, and moved from her place to put an arm around her. Both of them were in tears. Lark stood and walked over to them, her own eyes wet and pained. Briar just sat, thinking hard, unable to comprehend that this had happened on his happiest day. His head lowered into his hands, and he simply breathed.

After a little while, Runa and Niko left, still talking. Lark stayed awhile longer, but she was pale and tired, and eventually Daja sent her off to bed. Vedris had left immediately after Niko had arrived, and he had been looking as though thunderclouds were forming on his heart. The three that were left gathered around the bed, thinking and waiting.

-

-

Hours came and went, and night fell in earnest. Every few hours a healer came in and did something to Sandry, but no one suggested that they leave.

Briar rubbed his cheeks and blinked trying to pretend that the tears sneaking down his cheeks were from dry eyes. On the other side of the bed, Daja sat next to Tris, her head leaning on the red-head's shoulder, both of them asleep. Briar had twice felt their touch in his head, but he didn't think he could talk yet, and he ignored them.

And then he felt another touch, faint and weak, and his eyes opened.

_Briar…you're here!_

His head snapped up and he saw Sandry lying on the bed, her eyes open and looking at him. He moved forward quickly to grab her hand. Sandry smiled weakly. _When I saw you earlier, I thought I was dreaming. I was so cold… _

Briar felt his eyes prick, but he ignored them, focusing on Sandry. _Of course I'm here! And you've right scared everyone else here as well! _

Sandry smiled. _I'm sorry. I was being silly. But I felt you in my mind and I just wanted to get to you. _

Briar blushed. _Aw, not the sappy stuff. _

Sandry grinned at him, then shifted her gaze to the others_. Daja's here! Tris! Wake up!_

Sandry's smile grew wide and she tried to speak. Her mouth moved for a moment, and Briar recalled with frightening clarity the time that Rosethorn had had her stroke. The same inability to speak had happened afterwards. Sandry tried a little longer, then turned to him frowning.

_Why can't I talk?_

Briar shrugged his shoulders, keeping his smile pasted to his face. _It's only that you hit your head a little harder than we thought. The doc says it'll be fine._

Sandry smiled softly at him, and her voice was gentle in his mind. _Briar, it's okay. You can tell me what happened. I'll find out soon, anyway._

Briar swallowed and his grin slipped away from him. _Maybe we can wait a little longer…just because._

Sandry frowned at him, then transferred her gaze to the sleeping Daja and Tris.

_When did they get here?_

Briar thought about waking them up, then decided against it. _Daja got here this evening_. _Tris arrived maybe five hours ago_.

_Five hours? How long have I been asleep? _

_Way to long for your beauty rest, princess, _Briar joked, and Sandry smiled at him again. At that moment, Daja woke up, and she nearly screamed in her excitement, which woke Tris, who did scream, which caused the nurse to come rushing in and cause more havoc, and Briar's heart gave a sharp twitch, as though it was telling him something he really needed to know.

_Not now! _He thought.

_Not now what? _Sandry asked, and then the nurse was there and he was forced to drop her hand, which allowed him to turn away and hide his blush as Tris and Daja greeted their friend with tears and smiles, filled with laughter as the first shining moment of a dark day came forth.

-

-

You know, I really love Briar. Don't you?


End file.
